South Alabama adds two pitchers, infielder to wrap up recruiting season

South Alabama baseball coach Mark Calvi added two more pitchers to the fold for the 2013 baseball season. (Press-Register, G.M. Andrews)

MOBILE, Ala. -- South Alabama wrapped up its baseball recruiting for the 2013 season on Wednesday by adding two pitchers and an infielder.

The Jaguars had pitching problems in 2012 and second-year coach Mark Calvi believes help is on the way with nine pitchers among the program's dozen signees.

The latest pitchers are right-hander Brandon Boyle from Lower Columbia Community College in Olympia, Wash., and right-hander Tripp Cecil from Paris Junior College in Plano, Texas. USA also signed infielder Bud Collura from Clark Junior College in Vancouver, Wash.

"We're done," Calvi said of USA's recruiting for next year's club. "I think we've done a good job addressing the depth issue we had on the mound. If you look at this year and our pitching numbers, we had some kids that did some really good things. We return some quality kids. They had some success here, and took some lumps, and now we're bringing in some new guys to help us."

In two years at Lower Columbia, Boyle was a combined 15-2. This season, he was 10-1 with a 0.97 ERA in 13 appearances. He had two shutouts and struck out 86 batters in 83Ò innings with just 19 walks.

"Brandon led the whole Northwest Junior College Conference in pitching," Calvi said. "He's quite a competitor out there. He throws it from 89-94 (mph) with a great slider. I can see him in the top three (of the starting rotation)."

Cecil will have three years of eligibility with the Jaguars when he joins the program in the fall. In his freshman year at Paris, he was 5-1 with six saves in 20 appearances and had a 2.23 ERA. He worked 40Ð innings, struck out 39 and walked 14.

"We've been recruiting Tripp since early in the spring," Calvi said. "(Pitching coach) Bob Keller had seen him when he was at Dallas Baptist before coming here and really liked him. Tripp had a fantastic year at Paris and he pitched in one of the best junior college conferences in the country."

Collura also has three years of eligibility and fills a gap on the left side of USA's infield.

"Bud played third base in junior college and can also play second," Calvi said. "He's a switch-hitter and almost hit .400 with a wooden bat. He knows how to hit and sprays it around. He also won a gold glove award out there."

Collura led CJC in batting average (.377), hits (46) and on-base percentage (.450). He committed just two errors in 36 games.

"With Collura, we can move Dustin Dalken back to his natural position at first base," Calvi said. "We'll have Logan Kirkland back at second, Graham Odom and Hayden Jones at shortstop, and Robby Campbell at third with Collura. That gives us good depth, too."